Green City Guide: Christchurch

Christchurch, the garden city of New Zealand and capital of the South Island, is sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Southern Alps - making it an ideal base for exploring some of New Zealand's most popular national parks.

Explore

Christchurch, (trimmed to ChCh by locals), is the largest city on the South Island, but still small enough that most of its attractions can be explored on foot. The city Center is set out on grid system, with Cathedral Square at its heart and the river Avon flowing through its Center The city's English roots are reflected by the Victorian and Edwardian architecture and the numerous street names that mimic British towns and cities – but don't be fooled that Christchurch is a city stuck in the past, as ChCh's large student population keeps the nightlife, art and music scenes lively.

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Attractions

Despite its small size, Christchurch has plenty to explore, and much of it is free to visit. The city's main hub, Cathedral Square, provides some of the city's top photo opportunities - plenty of visitors clamber to the top of the cathedral for the panoramic views, the funnel shaped Chalice sculpture is also photogenic, and the cameras always come out when Christchurch's famous wizard makes an appearance, even if he is a little older then Harry Potter.

Cathedral Square is also home to The Southern Encounter Kiwi House and Aquarium, where visitors can view daily eel and shark feeds and see kiwis in the artificial night of the Kiwi House. Alternatively the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, 15 minutes from the city Center, stays open after dark so visitors can see kiwis in more natural surroundings.

Although the chances of seeing kiwis in their natural habitat are extremely slim, Christchurch is a popular jumping off point for various wildlife tours and cruises, such as the Black Cat dolphin cruise in nearby Akaroa Bay, or a sea kayaking expedition in Littleton harbor. Most of these tours offer pickups from the city Center

A short walk from Cathedral Square is one of ChCh's newest attractions – the Te Puna o Waiwhetu art gallery. The gallery, which houses over 5000 works of contemporary and Maori art, opened in 2003 in an impressive, modern glass building, a stark contrast to the Victorian architecture of the Old Arts Center nearby.

The nearby Port Hills provide some excellent panoramic views over ChCh and Littleton Harbor. Visitors can take a ride up to the hills in the ChCh gondola, and the more adventurous can combine the journey up with a mountain bike ride back down with The Mountain Bike Adventure Company.

Shopping

New Regent Street and High Street offer some good shopping options but one of the most popular spots for unique souvenirs is The Old Arts Center The Gothic revival buildings hide an art house cinema, cafes, art galleries and dozens of permanent craft and artisan stores where you'll be able to find eco-friendly gear such as organic merino wool socks or possum fur hats. New Zealand is perhaps the only country where wearing fur is good for the environment, as possums are a major pest which munch their way through millions of native trees each year, so the less possums there are, the better.

Food and Drink

The Canterbury region is known for its excellent produce, lamb in particular, and many restaurants in Christchurch source their food locally for this reason. The vegetarian restaurant The Lotus Heart on Colombo Street goes a step further by serving GM free and organic meals, and a few doors down the Aiki Japanese Organic restaurant adds an Oriental twist.

Christchurch also has several organic food markets and stores, such as Seven Fields Organic on Colombo Street, which also doubles as an organic cafe, and Nature's Organics on Somerfield Street.

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Green Accommodation

Eco-friendly Budget

Base Backpackers Base is a large and popular hostel with a great location in Cathedral Square. The hostel also has its own bar and regular karaoke nights. Book at Hostelworld

Stonehurst Backpackers The greenglobe awarded Stonehurst offers a choice of dorms, private en suites or parking space for camper vans. The hostel also boasts a solar heated swimming pool. Book at Hostelworld

Hotel So This brand new 3-star hotel features low-energy lighting, water saving showers, natural shampoos and soaps and recycled paper throughout, and unlike most hotels, it also has a shared kitchen for self-catering backpackers. Book at hostelworld

Greenspace The greenspace chalets were designed with the environment in mind and feature sustainable timbers, natural paints, solar water heating and an organic garden, yet they are still contemporary and stylish. greenspace.co.nz

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Going Green

Christchurch's title of New Zealand's garden city is thanks to swathes of green spaces such as the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park – which is only a couple of minutes from Cathedral Square and a pleasant place for a walk or a punt down the Avon River.

Despite the green title, however, Christchurch is not entirely eco-friendly. During the winter ChCh's air pollution, partly caused by wood burning fires, can pose a health risk. Tough measures have been put in place to reduce pollution, but asthma sufferers are still advised to check pollution levels during the winter before going outside.

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Nightlife

The main bar and club strip in ChCh is around Oxford Terrace, and near here you'll find Dux de Lux, one of the city's most famous nightlife hotspots. The Dux brews its own beers, is a restaurant and a live music venue.

ChCh also has a good late night coffee culture, with cafes such as Underground piping in music from local bands while serving FairTrade long blacks (double espressos topped with hot water) and Affogatos (espresso served with a scoop of ice cream) late into the night.

Practically all regions in New Zealand have their own brewery, and Canterbury is no exception, here you'll find the rather unimaginatively named Canterbury Ale, along with other kiwi favorites such as Speights.

An evening trip out to Lyttleton is also worth the bus fare, this small town boasts a couple of gems in the quirky Wunderbar and The Lava Bar, both with personalities bigger than the town itself.

Music

Chch bands tend to head to Auckland when fame beckons, but the city still has a lively music scene and welcomes the occasional touring band. Top live venues include Dux du Lux and the Jetset Lounge, with room for 400 hundred people

Christchurch hosts several arts festivals throughout the year, including the Southernamp Festival in November, held at AMI Stadium and featuring NZ and Aussie bands and DJ’s.

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Getting Around

	Christchurch's tram system is not a fast way to get around but a good way to get a quick tour of the city. A restaurant tram also offers regular meals on wheels.
	Christchurch also has a good bus system, including a free electric shuttle bus service that runs a circular route through the city Center Services to the suburbs and Lyttleton can be found in Cathedral Square.
	The Avon River is not used as a transport route, but leisurly punts up the river through Hagley Park are available.
	Christchurch is flat so ideal for exploring on bike. Several hotels and hostels offer bike hireand bicycles can be hired from Christchurch Bike Hire

Getting There

Christchurch International Airport is the main airport for the South Island and the Red Flyer Bus links the airport and the city Center - some hostels also offer a free airport pick up and drop off service. The TranzScenic railway links Christchurch to Wellington and Auckland, and the route across the Southern Alps to Greymouth is often hailed as one the world's most scenic rail journeys. Hitch-hiking is also fairly safe and easy to do in New Zealand.

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